Chad, Dylan, and the Fungenda
by bahjcb
Summary: Sunny wasn't so sure about leaving her guys alone while she was out of town, but giving them a "fungenda" ought to keep the occupied.


Disclaimer: I have no ownership rights to anything about or from _Sonny With a Chance_ –though it would be totally awesome if I did!

* * *

Chad Dylan Cooper wasn't afraid of anything, as he once told his wife. Of course, at the time he was referring to musical chairs, but the concept was the same. So, when Sonny told him that she was going back to Wisconsin to help Lucy, who had just given birth to her first child, Chad graciously volunteered to keep their three-year-old son with him so that Sonny could give all her attention to her best friend.

Sonny, upon hearing this bit of information, immediately balked.

"Chad, _sweetie_, that's…that's **not** necessary. I can take Dylan with me. It will be _no_ trouble. I mean, you're so busy right now. You have your new movie you need to promote and…"

Taking his wife into his arms, Chad pressed a finger to her lips, stopping her random babbling.

"Sunshine, the time for talking is over. It's already been decided. I'll keep Dylan for the week. You'll go to Wisconsin and visit Lucy and our goddaughter. A week later Dylan and I will fly out to see the christening."

"But…but Gloria is gone for the next two weeks visiting her grandchildren in Alaska."

"So?" Chad asked, clearly unsure of why his wife thought this well known fact was worth noting.

Sonny, however, thought it was vital.

When they had first found out that they were going to have a baby, Sonny had informed Chad that they would _not_, under any circumstances, be getting a nanny. She didn't want their child raised by anyone but them. And though it had been hard at times to juggle their work and their child, between the two of them they managed it. There were times, however, when their live-in housekeeper and cook, Gloria, would help out by watching Dylan for a few hours.

Sonny just didn't think it was wise to leave a man who had _always_ had others to take care of him to be left in charge of a three-year-old all by himself for so long. Chad didn't know how to cook and would just eat in fine restaurants if Gloria was off and Sonny didn't cook the meal. Furthermore, Chad seemed to believe that his dirty clothes just magically became clean and either folded or hung up in his closet. In some ways, Sonny wasn't sure if her _husband_ should be left alone without a sitter let alone him and their small child.

"Chad, how will you both eat? Dylan's too little to go into some of the restaurants you enjoy."

"I'll order in," he replied with a shrug.

"Ah…Chad…I don't think…"

Chad stepped away from his wife and in an icy voice, demanded, "Sonny, don't you trust me?"

Sonny knew she really had no way to argue with that without completely offending her husband. Giving in, she pulled him into a tight hug and agreed that she trusted him more than life. Then she prayed that both her boys would be just fine while she was gone. She'd just have to leave them a fungenda to help keep them occupied.

Three days later, Chad thought he would never get his wife on her plane. Sonny kept hugging them both and demanding that if the least little thing happened they were to call her and she would fly home. Reminding Sonny that he was her _husband_ and _not_ her son, and therefore completely capable of looking after _their_ child, Chad gave his wife one last kiss and pushed Sonny towards the airplane with a promised that everything would be fine.

**

* * *

**The first night worked just fine. After dropping Sonny off at the airport, Chad took Dylan home to watch a movie and eat the dinner that Sonny had previously prepared for them. In fact, getting Dylan bathed and to bed was so easy than Chad wondered just what Sonny was worried about.

The next morning, however, things became a little more harried. Chad woke up late and Dylan didn't want to wear shoes or eat his breakfast. After giving in and feeding Dylan the toaster pastry he wanted instead of the nutritious cereal Sonny instructed them to eat and allowing Dylan to wear a pair of bright yellow galoshes that completely clashed with the rest of his outfit but was the only thing he didn't kick and scream about having to wear, the two Cooper males were ready to go.

Chad would admit that he broke most of the traffic laws as he drove to Dylan's preschool. Pulling into the parking lot with a squeal of tires, Chad didn't even notice that there wasn't another vehicle there. Grabbing Dylan under one arm and throwing his son's backpack over his other, Chad sprinted to the door. It wasn't until he tried to open the door and it didn't budge that he even realized something was up. Glancing at the door, he saw the sign, "Closed for Spring Break."

Looking down at his giggling son, Dylan was enjoying the way Chad was carrying—almost upside down in fact, Chad asked, "Did you know you didn't have school today?"

"Yep," Dylan laughed.

"Now what to do," Chad muttered to himself. He had interviews he _had _to be at. A talk show was really no place for a three-year-old but there wasn't much he could do at this late date. If only, he thought to himself, he had done more than glance at Sonny's week-long schedule (or fungenda) when she gave it to him then he would have had time to track down a babysitter for Dylan or know if she already had.

"Dyl, what do you think about coming with Daddy to work?"

Tipping his head back, Dylan considered his father for a moment before nodding vigorously.

"Okay!"

"Okay," Chad agreed.

**

* * *

**Setting Dylan down on the couch, Chad looked him dead in the eyes and said, "Dylan, I need you to _stay here_. Play with your toys or color," he instructed, setting Dylan's backpack next to him. "But, do NOT leave this room."

"Okay, Daddy," Dylan agreed, already more interested in his trucks than whatever his father was saying.

"Mr. Cooper," a stressed assistant interrupted. "You are needed on the set."

"I'll be right there," Chad replied. Turning back to his son once more, he said, "Be good, Dyl."

"Okay," Dylan absently agreed.

Reluctantly, Chad kissed the top of his son's head and stood up. Glancing back frequently, he slowly left the green room and went out to the interview.

Once in his element, Chad was able to put his worries aside and laugh with and chat-up the hosts and audience. Halfway through the interview, however, right after Mary (from Regan and Mary) asked him how he liked directing, Chad noticed several members of the crew were gathered worriedly together and whispering.

Suddenly worried and horrified that he forgot to worry about his son, Chad straightened and strained to hear what they were saying.

"Chad?" Mary prompted.

"I'm sorry," he said with a slight grin. Still not paying his host much attention, Chad continued with, "I…ah…enjoyed…hard…to do…both."

"You mean acting and directing at the same time," Regan prompted.

"Yeah…" Chad muttered, standing up and slowly shuffling towards the exit.

"Chad…" Mary called.

Before Chad could come up with a legitimate excuse about where he was going, a high pitched screamed rang throughout the area. Eyes widening, Chad whispered, "Dylan," before he took off running.

Almost to the exit, Dylan flew into his arms sobbing. Scooping his son up and cuddling him close, Chad unconsciously kept his back to the audience and cameras so as to give them some privacy.

"Dyl, what's wrong? What happened?" he whispered.

"The big kitty tried to bite me," the three-year-old sobbed, pressing his teary and snotty face against his father's immaculate shirt.

Chad knew immediately what had happened. His adventurous tot had gotten bored with his toys and decided to explore. Coming across the animals that were supposed to be the next segment, Dylan must have tried to pet a great cat when the animal got angry.

The animal handler who had followed Dylan out, quickly countered, "Nothing bit him. He's fine. Tasha just roared and scared him."

Chad just glared at the imprudent young man and went back to soothing his son.

Looking over his shoulder at his curious hosts, Chad said, "I'm sorry, but we'll be leaving now."

"Are you sure?" Regan asked.

"Yeah," Mary agreed. "Your son could join us out here."

"I don't think so," Chad firmly, but kindly replied. "Thank you for having me."

Then, before anyone could say anything else, Chad walked off the stage and never turned back.

**

* * *

**Gathering up Dylan's toys and putting them back in the bag while Dylan hanged on to him with one hand, Chad spoke over the phone to his assistant and demanded that she cancel the rest of his appointments for the week. By now he realized that taking Dylan along just wasn't going to work.

Hanging up the phone, Chad looked down at his son and asked, "What do you want to do now?"

Dylan carefully considered this before his eyes, which were so much like his mother's, lit up and he exclaimed, "Fungenda!"

Laughing, Chad swung the boy up onto his hip. "You're just like your mom, did you know that?"

"I like the fungenda!"

"Well, it's a good thing Mommy left us one, isn't it?"

"Yep! Daddy, are we going to a puppet show today?"

"That's not till Thursday," Chad replied as they walked back to the car. That much he did remember. "I think, today, we get to go to the aquarium."

"We'll get to see the sharks," Dylan declared, almost sounding a little bloodthirsty.

"And the seals," Chad added, thinking of the animal Sonny most liked to see.

**

* * *

**Dylan spent twenty minutes telling his mother all about going with Daddy to the aquarium and the big kitty that almost mauled him before saying good night and passing the phone back to Chad.

"Chad," Sonny asked, interrupting his hello. "Dylan is alright, right?"

"He's perfect, Sunshine. I promise. I took the rest of the week off."

"Can you do that?"

"I'm Chad Dylan Cooper," he answered with a smirk. "I can do anything."

"Chad," Sonny warned.

Sighing, he replied, "My agent isn't too happy with me but everything is fine. I'll work twice as hard when we get back. Don't worry."

"Is everything going okay? You're not having any problems, are you?"

"Sonny, don't you trust me?"

"I worry. Indulge me."

"We had a rocky start but we're doing fine now."

"Good," she sighed happily.

"I'm following your fungenda," Chad added with a grin.

"Ha," Sunny triumphantly stated. "And Tawni said you were too stubborn to use something like a fungenda. She was sure you would crash and burn. I told her my husband has much more sense than that!"

Chad decided that the fact that he had had no plans on using the fungenda before the entire thing went to pot was just **not** something his wife **ever** needed to know.


End file.
